A Teen Was Killed When a Log Rolled On Her On an Oregon Beach

Over the weekend, a high school freshman was killed at South Jetty Park Beach in Bandon, Oregon, when a log rolled on top of her, The Register-Guard reports. Her stepfather, David Wederquist, told the paper that 14-year-old Aurora Genai Sheffel was standing atop the log with two of her friends and taking selfies before the incident occurred.

According to the paper, a police news release stated that witnesses pulled her out from under the log. And although CPR was performed, the teen died at the Southern Coos Hospital and Health Center shortly after. Wederquist also told the paper that she had been at the beach celebrating two things: the onset of spring break, and the fact that she was just selected for her school's varsity cheerleading squad.

The log rolled over the teen due to the heavy, receding tide at the beach, according to the news release, as reported by The Oregonian. This type of movement is called a "sneaker wave," and can be extremely deadly. According to Buzzfeed News, police warned that the "ocean is strong enough to pick up even the biggest log and roll it down on top of you. Some logs may look small, but even the tiny ones can be waterlogged and weigh tons."

In the wake of Aurora's death, her high school posted a message about the accident on their Facebook page, and her family set up a GoFundMe page to help with funeral expenses. At the time of writing, it has exceeded its goal of $5,000 with more than $9,000 in donations.